Delinquent and Rose
by grachiel101
Summary: Kaede, a tomboy delinquent, is a new employee at Le Reve Couleur, and she is excellent at creating sweets... and is Henri Lucas's girlfriend! What happens when a delinquent is put together with a rose? HenriXOC, HanabuXOC! Narcissist vs Sadist
1. Chapter 1: Delinquent Sweets

"Henri-sensei!" Amano Ichigo cried out, a wide grin on her face as she ran outside to greet the patissier, "What brings you here to la Rêve Couleur?"

"I want to introduce you to the new employee…" Henri Lucas stepped to the side to allow a boyish looking short red haired girl.

The girl smiled, "The name is Kaede Takeda. Nice to meet you, Amano Ichigo," she gave a slight nod in greeting.

Ichigo blinked rapidly at the short haired girl then called out, "Kashino! Kashino! We have a new employee!"

"Eh?" Makoto pushed open the door to the patisserie and walked over to Ichigo, Henri, and Kaede.

Kaede stared at Kashino for a while, her dark brown eyes steady. She spoke up, "Who's this shorty?"

"SHORTY?" Kashino growled.

"You're the same height as I am. That's short… for a guy… are you sure you're male?" Kaede smirked.

"Well you look like a guy, got anything to say about that?"

"Well, better tough and tall than short and wimpy," She shrugged, sticking her tongue out at him.

"Argh!"

"Ah, Henri-sensei… um… why do you want her to become one of our employees?" Ichigo asked as she struggled with Kashino in order to hold him off from attacking the new girl.

"You'll see," Henri smiled.

* * *

><p>"This… is seriously… your… best…?" Kaede glared down at the sweets from la Rêve Couleur she had just tried.<p>

"Why? They're not good?" Ichigo tilted her head, taking a bite into one of the cakes.

"You… won't… YOU'LL NEVER SURPASS HENRI LIKE THIS! If you want a very successful shop then, you need more of a variety of the tastes and flavours… no wonder why Henri sent me here…" Kaede sighed, pulling at her red bangs.

"How can you say that? Do you know how much work, time, and trouble we went through just to make all of these?" Kashino snarled.

"If you're going to say that, you have no right to be a patissier. Thinking of sweets as work, time, and trouble will only bring you to your downfall. It will be your failure," Kaede glanced at each one of the shop's sweets.

"But..!" Lemon trailed off.

"But… it is an okay start… just add my creations and business will boom every day," Kaede smiled a bit, looking up at the others.

Ichigo nodded, then asked, "May we try some of your sweets?"

Kaede nodded, her smile disappearing, then she entered the kitchen and closed the door behind her, "I'll borrow the kitchen and your supplies for a sec."

The petit gateau was small and cylinder shaped, with a large rose made of candy on top. Kaede set down one for each of the employees, then stepped back, confident in her sweets.

"Try it after breaking one of the petals of the flower," she suggested.

"Itadakimasu!" They cried out before using their spoons to lightly tap the candy and a blue, slightly steaming liquid dribbled out of the candy art and onto the small cake.

Ichigo first took one bite, then Kashino, then Lemon, and each of their eyes widened.

"It's so… creamy yet a bit tart, and the sauce melts in your mouth giving great warmth and when it dies away, there are small sugars that make you long for it…" Ichigo gasped.

"The design on the outside is a bit plain and seems rough because of the texture of the icing, but is incredibly fluffy on the inside," Makoto muttered.

"And I feel somewhat wild, and free, but regretful of my actions…" Lemon closed her eyes.

"Like the heart of a delinquent!" Amano exclaimed.

Kaede blinked rapidly, then smiled, "That's the image I was going for…"

_Her tongue and taste buds… are amazing! Even her imagination… _Kaede thought.

"Um, Kaede-san, how old are you?" Lemon asked.

"Sixteen."

"How do you know Henri-sensei? Are you his student?" Ichigo said.

"No… I'm his girlfriend," Kaede stared at Ichigo.

"EH?" Kashino, Ichigo, and Lemon cried out in unison, surprised.

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you like! Please review!<strong>


	2. Chapter 2: Henri

"How long have you and Henri-sensei been together?" Lemon piped up.

"We-,"

"When and how did you guys meet?" Ichigo blurted out.

"I-,"

"Did you learn how to create sweets from him?" Kashino asked.

A small flame started to boil Kaede's patience, and finally, the short meter burst into flames. "SHUT UP! AREN'T YOU GUYS SUPPOSED TO BE WORKING?" she yelled out.

"We just closed," Ichigo stated.

"Oh…" Kaede blinked rapidly, then her duffle bag lying on one of the tables started to shake and quiver, then something shot out of it and hit Kaede's forehead.

"You and your temper!" the sweets spirit scolded her.

"You and your stupid snowflake…" She muttered under her breath, rubbing her forehead.

The sweets spirit turned to the others, waving her wand that had a snowflake on top of it, "My name is Glâce and I'm Kaede's sweets spirit. My specialty is frozen sweets. Nice to meet you," she introduced herself.

"Glâce? Glâce-sama!" Vanilla burst out of her hiding spot, flying towards Kaede's sweets spirit. She was closely followed by Chocolate and Mint.

Glâce stared blankly at them and asked, "Who are you? How do you know my name?"

"I'm Mint, Lemon-chan's sweets spirit!"

"I'm Chocolate, Kashino's sweets spirit…"

"And I'm Vanilla, Ichigo's sweets spirit! Of course I know you! You're Honey-sama's rival!" she exclaimed happily.

Suddenly, the whole room was gloomy, dark, and cold. Ichigo shivered as goosebumps ran up her skin.

"Honey…?" Glâce growled, her expression too terrifying to explain what it looks like.

"Who's Honey?" Kaede asked, picking up a glass cup then examining it.

"Tennouji-san's sweets spirit!" Ichigo smiled.

"Tenn… Tennouji…?" The glass Kaede was holding shattered in her fist, her facial expression matching her sweets spirit's.

Andou opened the door to the patisserie, Caramel, his sweets spirit, on his shoulder, "What's with the commotion?" he asked.

Kaede and Glâce slowly turned to the two who just came in, their faces so frightening that Andou just froze up in shock and Caramel flew away crying and ended up ramming head first into a window.

* * *

><p>"Sorry I scared you like that… I'm famous for my glare…"Kaede giggled nervously, scratching the back of her head.<p>

"I'm sorry, too," Glâce apologized to Caramel, who was rubbing her head.

"No, really… it's fine… so, you're the new employee here?" Andou asked.

"Yes…"

"And she's Henri-sensei's girlfriend!" Ichigo exclaimed before Makoto tried to quiet her by shoving his hand in front of her mouth.

"Eh?" Andou and Caramel cried out in unison.

"I am…" she glared sharply at Ichigo, "It's a secret that we're dating, so don't blurt it out to everyone… sheesh…"

"I won't say anything… well, that's uh… surprising… how old are you?" Andou asked.

"The name is Kaede Takeda… and I'm sixteen…"

"That's… a pretty big age difference…" he muttered to himself.

"Six years isn't that big!" Kaede retorted, picking up her bag, then heading for the door.

"I'll come back tomorrow… so see you later!" she called out before leaving.

"Bye…" the group said in unison, all of them suddenly very tired.

* * *

><p>"Class, please welcome our new student…"<p>

"The name is Kaede Takeda… nice to meet ya!" she called out to the class, standing up straight. She shifted her gaze over the students, glancing at the uniforms and the utensils they were about to use for creating sweets.

"What a scary glare…"

"I heard she came in using Henri-sensei's influence!"

"No way! Then she's one of his students?"

"Better not turn out like Ichigo!"

The whispers moved along among the students as they gave quick side glances to Kaede, who was now pointing her gaze to the floor. The whispers turned into surprised squeals as the door opened and a blond haired man stepped in.

Kaede looked up and her eyes met Ichigo's, who smiled and motioned towards the man who came in. The boyish looking girl turned her gaze to the man then her jaw nearly hit the ground. Henri Lucas was smiling at the students.

"Hello!"

"French blond playboy!" the words tumbled out of Kaede's mouth when she saw Henri. She became so happy that the names she called him when they first met just erupted out of her mouth.

Suddenly, the whole room became quiet and all the students in the room turned to face her, even the teachers.

"How dare she say that to Henri-sensei!"

"No shame at all!"

The whispers commenced once more. Kaede blinked rapidly, covering her mouth with her hands right after she uttered those words. Helplessly, her gaze flickered to Ichigo, Lemon, then Henri, whose eyes turned away from her, not coming to her aid.

"I bet she can't cook, or make sweets!"

"With that much of a foul personality, she wouldn't even be able to make a cake!"

Kaede's face darkened, and her eyes furrowed into a glare and a smirk played on her lips. She grinned at the students then yelled, "I'll prove to you… How well I can make sweets!"

"Eh? Fine. If you do, we'll stop," one of the girls jeered.

With confidence, Kaede marched over to Group A's, Ichigo's team's, station. She muttered to them, "I'll borrow this…" then to the audience, she crowed, "Watch me!"

The whole class quietly watched Kaede as she mixed, baked, and decorated a petit gateau. Her actions were graceful and smooth, somewhat quick and fierce, yet beautiful. The whole room was entranced until the very end of her creation. Kaede briskly walked to one of the students from the crowd that teased her, her eyes glowing with confidence.

"Try it… my Delinquent's Heart."

* * *

><p>"Why didn't you help me?" Kaede crossed her arms, her gaze on Henri Lucas. Class had just ended, and she had finally escaped from the overwhelming praise of her fellow students.<p>

"Well, if I did, it wouldn't have worked out that well," he smiled at his girlfriend.

Kaede let out a loud huff, turning away from him. Suddenly, she felt his warm breath on the back of her neck. A blush crept across her face as she looked to the side to be face to face with Henri.

"H-Henri…" she stammered, then Henri chuckled, pulling away, waving a petal of a cherry blossom in the air.

"It was in your hair…" he shrugged, then his pointed to the bushes at the side, "There are people watching."

Kaede jumped nearly a foot in the air, startled, then she marched quickly to the bushes and saw Lemon and Ichigo gazing up at her with an apologetic look.

"You…" Kaede trailed off, then looked behind her to see Henri surrounded by female students. She placed a hand on the back of her neck, tugging her short hair with the other.

"Sorry…" Ichigo muttered.

"We just saw you two leaving then we wanted to see if it is true that your two are dat-," Lemon was cut off by Kaede's hands.

"It's nothing, really…" she murmured, the blush still on Kaede's face as the warm feeling of Henri's body near hers replayed over and over in her head.

* * *

><p><strong>Hello! grachiel here! btw, this story is a bit random... sorry about that if you don't like randomness.. anyways, please review! I hope you like! ^0^<strong>


	3. Chapter 3: Rose Prince

**Surprise, coming up soon!**

* * *

><p>Kaede sat with her forehead pressing against the table and a gloomy aura surrounding her. She was in le Rêve Couleur, in the kitchen, where the customers wouldn't see her sad state and run off crying. Suddenly, she bolted up straight, then let her head fall back down on the table with a loud bang. Ichigo, who was watching her worriedly, started to speak.<p>

"Uh… Kaede-chan, are you okay?"

"Forget the honorifics…. Do I look like I'm okay?" Kaede grumbled.

"N-no…" Ichigo stuttered.

Kaede sighed, and then got up, rubbing her sore forehead. Just before she left the kitchen, Ichigo spoke up again.

"Is it because Henri-sensei left for Paris this morning?"

Kaede froze up, her fists clenched. She turned her head to Ichigo, her face similar to one of a dead person. Glâce, who had been helping with cleaning the dishes, flew over then around Kaede's head, giggling.

"You got ditched," the sweets spirit snickered.

"Shut up," Kaede growled at Glâce, and then pushed open the doors to the patisserie, and face to face with an oddly coloured haired pretty boy.

* * *

><p>"Ah, you're a new employee here?" the boy asked, smiling down at Kaede.<p>

Kaede looked him up and down, and her eyes landed on his hair, then the face. She grinned then said, "Are you a crossdresser?"

A heavy look fell on the boy's face as soon as the words left her mouth, "Cross… Crossdresser?" he stammered. Snickers from Andou and Kashino were clearly heard from the background. They had overheard everything.

"Ah! Hanabusa-kun! You're here!" Ichigo smiled, running up to him and Kaede.

Café peeked out from behind Hanabusa's head, and then greeted Vanilla, Chocolate, and Mint, "Hello!"

They greeted him back, and Glâce quickly flew over, "Café?" she asked.

"Glâce-sama!" Café exclaimed.

"Yeah, nice to meet you too, "Glâce muttered, "Drop the honorifics."

Kaede's gaze darted from Hanabusa, Ichigo, then to each of the sweets spirits.

"Huh?" she blurted out, confused.

* * *

><p>"Sorry for calling you a crossdresser… even though you really look like a girl…" Kaede sulked, "And I was excited because it was my first time meeting one…"<p>

"Ahaha…. I'm sorry too… " Hanabusa laughed softly.

"C-crossdresser…" Kashino chuckled.

"Hanabusa-san, how come you're here?" Lemon asked.

"I had some free time," He winked at her.

Now having lost interest in the newcomer, Kaede shifted her gaze to the empty patisserie. She blinked rapidly, a bit surprised by how different it looked from when the shop was open.

"Um… I'm Hanabusa Satsuki. Nice to meet you," he tried introducing himself.

Kaede's eyes drifted back to him, and her gaze turned to a hard glare, "I'm Kaede Takeda."

She stared at him intently, feeling a bad aura coming from him._ He's probably a playboy too… or a really big flirt… just like Henri,_ she thought. Abruptly, she got up and picked up her bag, marching briskly to the door.

"Well, I'll be going first. See you tomorrow-"she was cut off by Hanabusa who suddenly was right next to her.

"Me too! See you tomorrow!" he called out, leaving the patisserie.

Café and Glâce both said their own goodbyes and trailed after them. Kaede stared blankly at Hanabusa who was smiling brightly, then a bit reluctantly walked after him.

"You're a narcissist, aren't you?" she asked him, glaring at him again.

"Why? Do I look like one?" Hanabusa stopped walking, flipping his hair as he struck a pose, a rose appearing out of nowhere.

"No shit, Sherlock," Kaede muttered, turning her back to him. Her gloomy mood returned again once she realized that Hanabusa wasn't interesting at all.

Hanabusa froze at Kaede's comment then trailed after her, "I'll walk you home."

"No need."

"It's around ten-thirty and it's dangerous for girls to walk around alone at night."

Kaede stopped in her tracks and she smirked, her glare becoming fiercer, "So you're underestimating me? Actually, I'm in a really bad mood right now, so you should be about ten meters away from me."

"Eh?"

"Fine I'll show you," she muttered, marching over to a group of delinquents nearby. Before Hanabusa could stop her, she was already there, tapping the shoulder of the roughest looking one. As soon as the delinquent turned around, Kaede punched him straight between his eyes, knocking him out in one blow. She smirked at the other delinquents who ran away at the sight of her horrifying face. Kaede huffed then walked back to where Hanabusa and Café were standing, frozen, while Glâce didn't pay much attention, already used to it.

Kaede and Hanabusa walked a few more meters then she stopped, pointing at the bus stop, "I live at the dorms at St. Marie, so you don't need to walk me anymore."

"Alright, see you!" Hanabusa waved goodbye as Glâce and Kaede left, his face and body momentarily freed from an eternal frozen state.

"Café…"

"Yes, Satsuki?"

"I met a dangerous girl…" Hanabusa sighed, all his energy suddenly drained away.

* * *

><p>"I want to see Henri…" Kaede sighed, burying her face in her pillows as soon as she reached her dorm.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Kaede: Henri... TT^TT 3<strong>

**Me: Kaede, it's okay... *turns to readers* Please review!**

**Kaede: Yes... please wish for Henri to come back... WAIT, WHY YOU HERE?**

**Me: *makes the peace sign then runs away***


	4. Chapter 4: Phone Call

Kaede glanced at her phone, and then back to the cake she was decorating. Her eyes drifted back and forth, her concentration lacking on both sides. Without realizing it, she had pushed a chocolate decoration into the cake too hard and the fruits she placed on the cake started to fall off. Kaede hurriedly tried to fix the decoration, but the icing and fruit were already ruined.

"Aw… crap," she muttered under her breath. She picked up the plate with the cake and headed for the trash bin with it, but she lost her focus and dropped the sweet. The plate shattered on the floor, the cake smashed with it.

"It's your second time today," Kashino growled. He had been making chocolate gateaux nearby.

""I know," Kaede muttered, bending down to pick up the shattered plate.

"If you're going to waste food and supplies like that, don't work at all. Go home for today."

"Fine, "she sighed, getting up then picking up her phone, "I will."

Kaede slowly walked to the door, about to open, it, then it opened by itself and Hanabusa's beaming face poked into the kitchen.

"Hello, Kashino!" he greeted Kashino, then he looked down at Kaede and smiled, "Hello, Kaede."

She didn't say anything in reply and pushed past him, briskly walking out of the kitchen when Hanabusa's question stopped her in her tracks.

"Are you free?"

"What if I am…?" Kaede muttered.

"Then let's work on some candy art. Just now, there was a request from a young man saying that he wants to give a candy art sculpture to his girlfriend."

"Girlfriend? Candy art?" Kaede turned to Hanabusa, glaring at him, "Where's the customer?"

* * *

><p>"So, she's 18, and you want us to create candy sculptures of identical rings in a birthday cake?" Hanabusa asked the young man.<p>

"Yes, it's her birthday and our second anniversary of dating," the customer nodded, "I wanted to well…. It is early, but…" the man blushed.

"We'll do it. Come by in two hours," Hanabusa smiled.

Kaede stared at the customer for a long while, then she nodded, "Don't worry. We'll make a cake and rings that will melt your girl's heart."

"Thank you so much!" the man thanked them and left.

Kaede turned to Hanabusa, her smile gone, "Why are you here anyways? You don't work at le Rêve Couleur. Besides, ask Ichigo or Lemon to help you. I already dropped two cakes today."

"I met that man on the way here… and it seemed like you needed to be cheered up," Hanabusa replied.

"Cheered up?" Kaede smirked, then she walked back into the kitchen of the pâtissierie, "We're gonna use the kitchen for a while!" she informed the other employees.

Hanabusa flipped his hair and followed her inside the kitchen, and the two of them got to work. Kaede did not make one mistake or even glance at her phone for the whole two hours.

* * *

><p>"Thank you, again!" the customer from earlier bowed to Hanabusa and Kaede.<p>

The two pâtissiers bowed back to him, and then Kaede smiled, "I hope your girlfriend's birthday will be the best one she ever had."

"I hope so too," Hanabusa nodded.

The young man smiled brightly, bowed again, and then headed off with the birthday cake containing two candy ring sculptures.

"So, you're feeling better?" Hanabusa smiled down at Kaede.

"… Not really… I still can't believe you're not a crossdresser," Kaede muttered.

Hanabusa's smile twitched a bit, annoyed, "I'm… not… a crossdresser!"

"So you're a narcissist, then."

"I… maybe I am," Hanabusa whipped out a rose and he handed it to Kaede, "For thanks."

"No need," Kaede said, and then opened the door to the patisserie.

"But… it was fun… Hanabusa," she confessed before entering the closed sweets shop. A wild fanfare exploded inside le Rêve Couleur as soon as Kaede stepped into the shop. Ichigo, Kashino, Lemon, Andou, and their sweets spirits were waiting for her, showering the red haired girl with streamers.

"Happy Birthday, Kaede!" they exclaimed in unison.

"Wait… how…?" Kaede took a step back, surprised.

"I told them," Glâce flew over to Kaede, a satisfied look on her face.

"I…"

"So you're 17 now! Congratulations! Sorry we didn't have time to get presents…" Ichigo scratched the back of her head.

"This is the cake!" Andou exclaimed, unveiling a birthday cake decorated with chocolate maple leaves, strawberries, and filled with sweet potato at the core.

"It's not much, but…" Hanabusa stepped in behind her and grinned, "I had to keep you occupied for a long time."

"No… it's…it's great…I'm so happy … Thank you…" Kaede smiled warmly to them, and then tears started to roll down her cheeks, "I…I'm sorry… it's only going to take a while…" she rushed into the kitchen.

"I… I'll go see if she's okay!" Ichigo said, following her.

* * *

><p>"Kaede, what's wrong?" Ichigo rushed into the kitchen after Kaede, who was busy checking her phone for missed calls. There were none.<p>

"I thought so… he's too busy… to even make… a call…"Kaede whispered.

"Who's too busy?"

"Henri… he promised that he would call me on my birthday… but…he couldn't in the end…" she sighed, putting her phone back in her pocket.

"K-Kaede…" Ichigo stuttered, then hugged the red haired delinquent, "I'm so sorry…"

The tears had already stopped and Kaede's eyes softened, "It's fine… really…. It's fine…."

* * *

><p><strong>Please review!<strong>

**Kaede: TT^TT Henri...**


	5. Chapter 5: Kyo

"I'll stay and clean up."

"Eh? But it's your birthday…"

"No, you should head to the dorms first."

"Ah… Alright then, bye!" Ichigo waved to Kaede before leaving with Kashino, Lemon, and Andou.

Kaede waved back, even managing a small smile, and she turned to go back inside le Rêve Couleur, and became face to face with Hanabusa Satsuki… again. She slowly swerved around him, ignoring his presence, and entered the shop.

"Hey! Don't ignore me!" he cried out, "I'll help you clean!" he said, following her inside the pastry shop.

"I don't need help," she growled, starting to put away the dirty plates.

Hanabusa picked up the used silverware and carried them to the sink, "But it's your birthday…"

Kaede, who had been wiping the countertops with a rag, stopped abruptly, her gaze dark and shadowed by her hair. Glâce flew in front of Kaede, peering up her bangs to see her face, and flew backwards quickly in fright. Hanabusa looked over at Kaede and tilted his head, confused.

"Kaede?" he asked.

"It's… it's not only my birthday that is today…" she muttered, and glared up at him, who nearly jumped three feet in the air in fear. Kaede stomped towards him and grabbed the top of his shirt, pulling him down to her level. Her gaze pierced into his and she growled menacingly, "Fine. I'll let you help… but… you have to promise… not to tell anyone of what happens after this, alright?"

Hanabusa flinched and stammered, "I… I…"

"Is that clear?" she demanded, and shook him a bit.

"Y-Yes, ma'am!"

"Good," Kaede huffed and let go of him, and her fierce expression turned into a dangerous smile, "Remember, you have to keep your promise, okay? Or you'll be…" she trailed off, cracking her knuckles.

Hanabusa nodded quickly in reply.

* * *

><p>"So, why are you taking the cake with you?" Hanabusa asked the red haired girl.<p>

"You'll see…" she muttered back, and the two of them reached the local hospital. Kaede checked the sign to see if visiting hours were still open, and she sighed in relief and stepped inside.

"The hospital…?" Hanabusa questioned, but was not answered.

Kaede approached the desk and talked quietly with one of the nurses and she headed off again, walking into one of the many halls. Hanabusa trailed after her, wondering why she would go to a hospital with… a cake. The girl stopped in front of a door labeled: Room 106, Takeda Kyo. She took in a deep breath, took one glance at Satsuki, and then entered the room.

"Kaede-nee! Is that you?" a voice called out from the hospital bed.

"Kyo-nii!" she smiled, rushing to the bed and hugged the patient on it. Kyo hugged her back, his firey red hair the same as hers, and his gaze flickered to Hanabusa who was still standing at the doorway. He smiled and motioned to the boy to come in. Glâce flew over to the sweets spirit sleeping on the table next to the bed and poked her in the stomach with her wand.

The sweets spirit woke up drowsily and murmured, "Glâce?"

"Yeah. It's me, Glâce. Long time no see, Mikan."

"Glâce-chan!" Mikan cried out, now fully awake and reached out to hug the other sweets spirit but was stopped by Glâce's snowflake.

"Don't get so touchy touchy already."

"Uh…" Hanabusa started as he stepped into the room and closed the door behind him.

"Kyo, this is Hanabusa Satsuki and his sweets spirit, Café. They help out at the pastry shop I work at now," Kaede pulled back from her brother and introduced them.

"Nice to meet you," Café greeted Mikan and Kyo.

"Nice to meet you… Kyo is a guy's name, right?" Hanabusa asked.

"Yeah… it is… I'm Kaede's twin brother," Kyo smiled, annoyance clear in his voice.

"Oh… WHAT?" he exclaimed, "You two… look so alike! I don't know who's a guys and who's a girl!"

Kaede and Kyo silently watched Hanabusa's reaction, both thinking the same thing: _Idiot crossdresser._

"Anyways," Kaede turned to her brother again and handed him the birthday cake that was left over, "Happy birthday!"

"Thanks, Kaede! Now we're both 17!" Kyo gave her a thumbs up, taking the box and opening it to see the piece of cake.

Kaede nodded, and opened her mouth to say something but was interrupted by a rapid knocking at the door, and a nurse walked in.

"I heard some noise…Ah, you're here, Kaede? I thought you went to Paris with your boyfriend!" the nurse exclaimed when she saw the red haired delinquent.

"Ah… no, something happened, so I came back. I'm here to celebrate our birthday…" Kaede scratched the back of her head.

"You're such a kind sister, taking care of your twin brother, even though he doesn't have many years left…" the nurse smiled.

Kyo and Kaede both stiffened and started to make their moves to stop her, identically, but Hanabusa interrupted them with a question, "Not many years left?"

"Well, Kyo-kun has a weak body… and we don't know the cure yet, but the doctors predict he will die soon…" the nurse blurted out, and covered her mouth as soon as the words left her mouth, realizing what she just said.

_Stupid, klutzy nurse!_ Both Kaede and Kyo thought. The nurse excused herself, embarrassed, and quickly left the room, leaving three dumbfounded people behind.

"Uh… Sorry, Kyo! I wanted to party with you, but…" Kaede started to push Hanabusa out the door.

"No, it's fine! I know you have plans anyways!" Kyo grinned, and then both of their faces darkened and grew fierce as they both glared at Hanabusa, "Plans…" he repeated.

Hanabusa flinched, and was forcibly pulled out of the room by Kaede. She shut the door behind him, panting heavily. Kaede glared up at Hanbusa fiercely.

"You….!" She started to say.

"I won't! I won't say anything! I promised, remember?"

"Ah.. that's right…" Kaede relaxed, "You did promise…" Her expression grew softer and full of relief, her eyes starting to well up in tears.

"Kaede…?" Hanabusa asked her, reaching his hand out to her, but was violently slapped away by Kaede.

"You… remember your promise, okay?" Kaede grinned evilly, and she marched out of the hospital, leaving him behind with Glâce trying to catch up, "See you later!" she grumbled.

Hanbusa slumped, and then slid down to his knees, his hand on his chest, "Café…" he muttered.

"Uh…. What, Satsuki?"

"I think…. I nearly died…"

"I think so too…" Café replied, and both of them shuddered, then relaxed, happy to be alive.

* * *

><p><strong>Kyo: Idiot crossdresser... besides, where's that french blond playboy? *wonders as he eats cake*<strong>

**Please review! ^0^**


	6. Chapter 6: Victory!

"That's why I told you to go to the open kitchen and show off a bit!" Kaede yelled.

"I don't want to!" Kashino argued back.

"You have a girlfriend for a reason! Your face! Now use it!"

"Argh! No!"

Lemon, who was close by, had tried to stop them multiple times, but obviously failed. Instead, she slowly started to make sweets instead of them.

"Even that crossdressing narcissist is a man enough to do it!" she growled.

"Why... you!"

The two of them were arguing in the kitchen of le Rêve Couleur, debating whether or not Kashino should go into the open kitchen. It had been two weeks since Kaede's birthday. Ichigo quietly pushed open the door to the kitchen to see the ruckus.

"Uh… Makoto… Kaede…" she said.

"What?" Kashino and Kaede turned to her in unison.

"H-Henri-sensei… is…"

A blond, tall male patissier stepped into the kitchen, gazing sternly at Kaede.

"Fighting again, Kaede?" Henri Lucas asked.

Kaede's eyes widened and she immediately jumped over to him, her arms spread out wide, "Henri!"

Her moment was immediately cut off by the appearance of Tennouji Marie, who walked in right behind him. Unable to stop, Kaede was already hugging Henri tightly when Tennouji's and her eyes met. Soon after, the whole room became cold and gloomy, especially where Kaede and Glâce were standing.

"Hello, Kaede," Tennouji greeted her.

"H-Hello, Tennouji," she growled back. It seemed as if sparks were flying out of Kaede's dark eyes.

"Hello, Glâce," Honey greeted the icy sweets spirit.

"H-Hello, Honey," Glâce grumbled back.

"Hi, Kaede!" Hanabusa exclaimed, smiling as he entered the kitchen full of a dark aura. Kaede had already let Henri go, but just her and Glâce's appearance was enough to shock and scare him. Even Makoto didn't feel like fighting with someone with such a fierce glare.

* * *

><p>"Anyways, why are you here, Henri-sensei?" Ichigo questioned after the mood lifted a bit, which took a very long time.<p>

"Chri-"

"It's Christmas, so we came to spend the holiday with you guys," Marie answered for him.

"Ah. So you guys are finally together now?" Hanabusa asked the most clueless question in the world.

Kaede, who had been washing the dishes to burn off her anger, was holding a glass which started to crack at Hanabusa's words. Ichigo and Kahino looked at each other worriedly, _Not another cup!_, they thought.

"No. I already have a girlfriend, and she is the only one I love," Henri replied.

The aura around Kaede turned from dark to happy, the entire mood lightening up a bit, except for around Glâce, who was still sulking in a corner.

"Christmas is next week, right? So…" Kaede trailed off.

"I'm staying in Japan until after Christmas," Henri nodded.

Kaede made a small punch in the air, thinking, _YES! VICTORY!_ Her whole face grew into a bright red and she fumbled with the dishes, but was careful not to drop them. Hanabusa glanced at Kaede, a slight discomfort stirring in his heart. Tennouji's gaze darted from the red haired girl to Henri, her fists clenched.

She sighed, and stretched her arms, "Enough with the chitchat, you guys have a shope moving, right? Let's get to work."

"You're going to help us, Tennouji-senpai?" Lemon exclaimed.

"Yes. It has been a while since I last helped out anyways."

"Then, I'll borrow Kaede for a while," Henri smiled, walking over to Kaede and grabbing her hand.

"Ah, okay!" Ichigo grinned back, watching them as they ran out, and then to the back of the shop. She blushed a little, wanting to spend time with her boyfriend herself, and Ichigo glanced over at Makoto whose gaze met hers. The couple turned away from each other, their faces bright red. Hanabusa and Tennouji started blankly at Kaede and Henri as they ran off.

* * *

><p>"Henri!" Kaede cried out as Henri Lucas led her out of the shop and to the back, between le Rêve Couler and the shop behind it. The space was a bit tight, but it was enough for the couple to fit through. They stopped in the space between the walls, but Henri didn't answer her. Kaede could feel impatience crawling up her spine.<p>

"Oi! Henri! What-"

She abruptly stopped yelling when Henri took her in his arms, hugging her tightly to his chest, so tightly that the red haired delinquent could feel his rapid heartbeat and her cheeks grew to the same colour of her hair. Kaede lifted her face a bit to see Henri, and she blinked rapidly in surprise to see that he was blushing fiercely as well. The girl slowly freed her arms from between her and his chest, and hugged him back, lessening the space between them. The two of them stood there in the small space, hugging each other for quite a long time.

"Kaede…" he whispered.

"Huh?"

"I missed you so much!" he cried out, burying his face to her neck.

"Eh?" Kaede exclaimed. It was the first time she had seen her boyfriend lose his self-control in the seven months they had been dating.

"I'm so sorry… I couldn't call you on your birthday… Something came up and I really wanted to call you, then I realized it was too late and I started to panic…"

"Pa…Panic?"

"It's okay if you hate me or don't forgive me. I'm such a horrible boyfriend, not even calling his girl when it's her birthday…" he trailed off.

"Oi."

"… Huh?"

Kaede giggled, amused of this nervous, lovestruck Henri. She did see him become nervous like this, only in front of her, but it was the first time she saw him losing his patience so quickly, "It's fine… I still love you," she chuckled.

"I'm sorry-" Henri tried apologizing again, but his lips were sealed by Kaede's kiss.

"You know, I hate it when people apologize to me when there is nothing to be sorry for. Don't be such a wimpy guy," she teased him.

"I… love you too," Henri smiled, his eyes full of relief and he leaned down and kissed her back, still hugging her tightly. The loveydovey couple was kissing each other as if they would never separate for the rest of their lives, but footsteps interrupted them and immediately, Kaede pushed herself away from him and jumped out of the tight space to meet Hanabusa. Hanabusa blinked down at Kaede, mostly staring at her lips which looking incredibly moist and wet. Kaede was glaring at him, and she saw his gaze, and she punched him mercilessly.

"What do you want?" she demanded him, wiping her lips with her handkerchief from her pocket.

"I-It's nothing…"

"It's nothing…?" Kaede's blush paled again and her dark glare returned. Hanabusa flinched and he ran off, apologizing.

Kaede grumbled softly as she watched him run back into the shop, "He ruined it… and we finally got to kiss after a month of not seeing each other…" she scratched her head, her blush returning as she remembered every moment of their kiss. She turned to Henri, who had now walked out from behind the pastry shop.

He ruffled Kaede's hair and smiled at her before walking off, his blush still clearly visible on his face, "Let's continue.. on Christmas!" he promised before leaving.

As soon as Henri left, Kaede yet punched the air again, this time, multiple times. _V-I-C-T-O-R-Y! VICTORY! YES YES YES YES YEEEEEEEESSSSS!_ She screamed to herself, her fists punching the air for each letter of "victory". _Now... about Hanabusa... for killing the moment..._ she thought as she grinned mischieviously. She had no idea what kind of problem was yet to come and change her life forever.

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><p><strong>It's okay, fangirls. "Kyaaa" all you want. I'm "Kyaaaaa" ing too! X3 3<strong>

**Please review! :)**


	7. Chapter 7: Aiko the Loveless

"Ne, Kaede, do you have a place to stay for the Christmas break?" Ichigo asked Kaede. They were cleaning up the shop right after le Rêve Couleur closed up. Kaede shook her head as she put away the dishes.

"Do you want to stay over at my house? It's pretty close to the academy, and you can still see your boyfriend on Christmas," the brunette continued. Kaede turned her head slightly towards Ichigo, giving her a questioning look.

Ichigo smiled, and said, "My parents are coming over here to pick me up in like five minutes. I can ask them and it is the last day until the break, anyways."

Kaede's hands froze in place and she fully turned towards Ichigo, her usually scary, dark eyes wide and full of gratitude. Ichigo giggled softly at her friend's reaction, and then asked, "Hey, what about your parents? Are they alright with this? Shouldn't you call home?"

Kaede's grateful expression faded away and she turned back to the dishes, rubbing a plate over and over again with a towel, until it was sparkly clean. She replied, "My parents… are dead."

"Ah! I'm sorry!" Ichigo apologized quickly, regretting ever bringing up the question.

"It's fine… I don't really remember them anyways. They died when I was little…" The red haired girl sighed and then jumped, startled, at Kashino's sudden appearance at the door to the kitchen.

"Oi! Ichigo! Your parents are here!" he called out.

"Ah! Okay! I'll get right there!" Ichigo replied, and grabbed Kaede's arm, pulling her outside of the kitchen, then to her parents and little sister, who were waiting patiently.

"Mom, Dad, this is Kaede. She's a new employee here, but she doesn't have a place to stay for the Christmas break, and she doesn't want to stay at the school. Could she stay with us for the break?" the brunette questioned her parents.

"Uh… I don't think so… I mean you're asking me all of the sudden…" Mr. Amano scratched the back of his head, thinking, _That girl's eyes are scary… kind of looks like a delinquent!_

Mrs. Amano, who had watched her husband's reaction, nudged him sharply on the side with her elbow and smiled at Kaede, "What are you talking about? Of course we'll let you stay, Kaede! But… what about your parents…? Are they alright with this?" she asked, thinking, _She's such a pretty girl! I'm so happy Ichigo is friends with her! Who cares about how her eyes look!_

Ichigo stared at her mother and father, their gazes meeting each others. They peered at each other for a while, then the message got through, somehow through telepathy, and Mr. Amano's eyes started to tear, _Poor girl! Her parents…_

Natsume, Ichigo's younger sister, who didn't say anything for quite a while, was gazing at Kaede intently. Kaede, who had noticed the strong stare, looked back down at the girl. Their eyes met and they gazed at each other while Ichigo and her parents had an eye-to-eye conversation.

"Uh…" Kaede started to say.

"Are… Are you Takeda Kaede?" Natsume asked.

"Uh… Yeah…"

Natsume's eyes widened and she grinned widely, "Really? I can't believe it! I'm seeing Takeda Kaede in the flesh! I have five posters with you in it and I was so sad when you stopped modeling and I even stopped buying the magazines with you in them! I'm a really big fan of yours! You're so pretty close up! Could I have an autograph?" she blurted out, rummaging her purse for paper and pen as she talked.

Ichigo, Kaede, Mr. and Mrs. Amano, Kashino, and Lemon, who was also there, stared at the excited girl, somewhat confused in different ways. Natsume finally pulled out a small, postcard sized, picture of a pretty model with bright red hair, wearing ripped, faded jeans and a tight, black tank top, her hair gathered messily to the side and tied into a bun. The model's expression was sly, but she wasn't smiling, her lips slightly open, but her eyes seemed as if she had a nasty plan up her sleeve. Everyone, except for Natsume's, jaw dropped as soon as they saw the picture. Ichigo raced forwards and peered closer at the photo.

"Wow! So pretty! Kaede, is that you? When did you start modeling?" Ichigo asked hurriedly.

Glâce flew over to the photo and circled around it, and snickered, "So this is you before you became my partner, Kaede…"

"Wow! Kaede-senpai, you really are amazing!" Lemon gasped.

"Um… c-could you please sign this photo? I even cut this out of a magazine and glued cardboard paper to the back so it doesn't get ripped…" Natsume pleaded, handing Kaede a black Sharpie.

"Uh… sure…" Kaede muttered, taking the marker, and then signing it. She looked up at Ichigo's parents again, "Uh… you're here to pick Ichigo up, right? Can we stop by the academy so I can grab my things?"

"Ah, sure!" Mrs. Amano said, regaining her usual self.

Kaede looked around her for a moment and wondered, "By the way, where's Henri?"

Ichigo shook her head, "No idea. He ran out a while ago saying he had an appointment with someone…"

"Eh? I thought he put aside his schedule for the break… wait… I'm going to call him…" she said, already punching in his number, then pressing it to her ear. The ringtone buzzed for five seconds, ten seconds, then twenty seconds, and finally, someone picked up the phone from the other end.

"Hello? Henri?" Kaede asked.

"_K-Kaede? Why did you call?"_ his familiar voice replied.

"Why? Uh… for the break, I'm going to stay at Amano Ichigo's place, so we can make plans for our next date through the phone…."

"_I'm sorry."_

"Huh? What are you sorry about? If you're busy, I don't mind."

"_I'm sorry… we can't go on dates for Christmas."_

"What? What do you mean?" Kaede screamed, everyone around her suddenly freezing, startled. Her dark gaze slowly returned, and Glâce quickly made a run for it.

"_Uh… actually…_" Henri's voice disappeared and a new, female voice replaced it, "_Hello, Kaede! Long time no see! Ah, so you moved on to another guy now? Such a player… and you're digging for older guys too… anyways, I dumped my last boyfriend, and you know who's going to be my next one."  
><em>

"Huh?" Kaede muttered, "Uh… who are you?"

_"You'll find out soon enough. Actually, I'll give you a hint: Dai-kun. Anyways, since Henri is your new boyfriend, I'm going to stick around him for a while. You won't mind, right?"_ A soft chuckle was heard through the cellphone, "_Besides, Henri will be spending Christmas with me, just like he went on a date with me on your birthday. Such a nice boyfriend, right?_"

"Henri… Henri is different… He would never…"

_"Ah, you said the same thing about Dai-kun, but you were wrong, right? Anyways, see you later!" _the voice sang, and Henri's voice was faintly heard over hers right before the line was cut off, "_Ah! Wait! Kaede! It's a misunderstanding-"_

A scary aura surrounded Kaede, which had grown quite enormously for a while, now filling one half of the pastry shop. Ichigo's parents slowly inched back while Natsume stayed at her spot, smiling brightly. Ichigo approached Kaede and carefully asked, "Uh… what happened, Kaede?"

Kaede shut her cellphone and slipped it back into her pocket. She turned to Ichigo, the heavy mood lifting incredibly as soon as her teary eyes were shown, "Ichi…Ichigo…"

"E-Eh?" Ichigo stammered, surprised. Ichigo's parents approached Kaede again, Mr. Amano's eyes also full of tears just by seeing the red haired girl's sorrowful face. Kashino looked away from them, somewhat annoyed, while Lemon just stood there, her head tilted to one side, extremely confused.

* * *

><p>"Why did you say that to Kaede?" Henri asked the girl who was holding his phone. The girl handed the cell back to Henri, smiling brightly.<p>

"No, you're question is supposed to be "Who is Dai-kun"?" she instructed.

Henri sighed, his eyes extremely troubled, "We made a contract that I will recruit you as my new student, but there was nothing about harassing my girlfriend!"

"But… Henri-sensei told me that you and Kaede were dating, so I just had to call her. We know each other so well…"

"At least let me call Kaede," Henri muttered, starting to dial the number.

The girl snatched the phone away from him and smirked, "Sorry, but you can't. If you want your career as a patissier to continue, you should just listen to what I say and obey me."

"How do you and Kaede know each other anyways?"

The girl chuckled, "I, Aiko Hayashi, Kaede's love rival for life, no matter whichever guy she falls in love with."

* * *

><p><strong>Another OC! Three OC's now in this story... :0<strong>

**but... Aiko's important for this because we need some intensity... uwahaha... :D**

**I know... Tennouji, Hanabusa, or Andou didn't come up in this chapter... TT^TT but I'll compensate for it! Don't worry!**

**Please review! 3**

**Kaede X Henri forever! X3**


	8. Chapter 8: Don't Leave Me

"Could you pass me the steak sauce, Natsume?" Ichigo asked.

"Sure!" she replied, handing her sister the bottle.

"Ichigo, how's life going at St. Marie Academy? Having fun?" Mrs. Amano questioned her daughter.

"It's great! It's going… fine…" Ichigo trailed off, looking to the side at the dark aura emitting from Kaede's body. She hadn't even touched her food and the red haired girl was staring absently at her plate.

Kaede blinked rapidly and looked up, realizing all the eyes in the room were directed at her and she muttered, "Sorry… I'm sorry… I just… don't have much of an appetite…"

"Is it because of that phone call?" Ichigo's mother asked worriedly. Kaede had already explained the situation to the Amano family, reasoning her bad temper and gloomy state.

Kaede didn't reply and just hung her head, staring down at her lap. Mr. Amano, who was trying to lift the mood, exclaimed, "Well, it probably is because he's not much of a man, two-timing his girlfriend! Ahahaha…"

"He… my boyfriend isn't like that…" Kaede muttered, lifting her shoulders as if trying to hide her face. Mrs. Amano punched her husband, scolding him about being insensible.

"Who exactly is your boyfriend, though? Is he handsome?" Natsume demanded, out of curiosity.

Kaede managed a small smile and the aura around her relaxed a little, "Very… Very handsome."

''Is he tall?" Mrs. Amano asked.

"Somewhat…"

"Is he older than you, or the same age?" Natsume questioned. Ichigo glanced over at the clock, counting how many hours passed since the phone call Kaede got. It had been two hours.

"Older," Kaede replied.

"How much older?" Mrs. Amano continued.

"He's… twenty two…"

"What?" Ichigo's parents and Natsume exclaimed, surprised by her answer. Just then the doorbell rang and Ichigo got up and ran to the door to answer it.

Ichigo peered through the window beside the door and her eyes widened in surprise, then smiled. She opened the door and greeted the man outside, "Hello, Henri-sensei! How did you find my house?"

"Uh… I looked at the student registry… I'm not a stalker! I just came to see…" he trailed off, his gaze landing on Kaede who got up from her seat and was standing only a few meters away from him.

Mrs. Amano walked over from behind Kaede and asked, "Eh… excuse me, but who…?"

"Ah! How rude of me… I'm Henri Lucas, the one who requested for Ichigo to enter St. Marie Academy a few years ago," Hneri introduced himself, bowing his head in greeting.

"Oh! Nice to meet you! I'm Ichigo's mother and that person," she paused, gesturing to Mr. Amano who just got up, "Is Ichigo's father. We're just having dinner, so why don't you join us?"

"Thank you, I-"

"Don't go through all the trouble in preparing another serving, Mrs. Amano. He can have mine. I'm going to Ichigo's room. Excuse me," Kaede interrupted him and started up the stairs to the second floor, then glanced down at Henri, "Don't worry. I barely breathed onto it, so don't stress about my germs infecting you. I'm saying this because I thought it would be a problem for you about my spit since we only kissed three times since we started dating," she muttered, then disappeared into Ichigo's room.

All eyes except for Ichigo's and Kaede's stared at Henri and their owner's mouths exclaimed, "Eh?"

* * *

><p>"Hey, Kaede…" Henri said to the ball of blankets on Ichigo's bed. He cautiously stepped into the room and walked over to the mound, sitting next to it. He leaned his head against it and asked, "Are you mad at me?"<p>

"No…" a muffled voice replied from the body of blankets, "I'm not…"

"Then why are you sulking?"

"Why were you with her? With Aiko?" she asked.

"Uh… she is from one of the biggest companies in Japan sponsoring pastry shops and such… After it slipped out that we were dating, she suddenly wanted to become my student…"

"So she forced herself on you," the mound of blankets growled.

"You can call it that," Henri chuckled and questioned, "Hey… she said something about being your love rival…"

"Don't mind it. It's nothing."

Henri turned around and nudged the ball of blankets, "Hey… you could at least see my face. It took me a while to talk out of that situation you gave me about your saliva."

The mound opened up and Kaede's arms, shoulders, and face popped out. She wrapped her arms tightly around him, pressing her cheek on his chest, "Sorry…. Sorry Henri… I was being mean and selfish…"

"No… I should be the one apologizing… I'm the one who's a horrible boyfriend," Henri apologized, hugging her back, placing his face on the top of her head.

"Hey… I'll be selfish a bit more today… can you do me a favor?" She asked, looking up at her boyfriend.

"Sure," he smiled down at her.

"Kiss me, please."

Henri just chuckled softly and gave her a quick kiss on the lips, not making it last any more than one second, "We can't be improper here at someone else's house. Maybe another day, another place, but not here."

Kaede sighed and stepped off the bed, "Fine… Christmas it is…"

Just then, Ichigo entered the room carrying a phone, "Hey, Kaede, someone is calling for you."

"Eh? Really? Wonder how they knew I was here, though…" Kaede wondered as she took the phone from the brunette and placed it over her ear, "Hello?"

"_Kaede-chan?_" the voice buzzed.

"Oh? Hanabusa? Wait, how did you know I was here? You weren't there when-"

"_Your brother!_"

"Eh? What about him?"

"_He… He's dying. I'm sorry… he told me not to tell you, but…_"

The loud clack of the phone when the plastic hit the wooden floor echoed through Kaede's mind, never to be forgotten. She hurriedly picked up the phone from the floor, glancing over at Henri and Ichigo, trying not to overreact, "H-H-Hanabusa?"

"_Y-Yes?_"

"Stay right there… stay with him and tell him I'll be there. Tell him…. T-tell him that, okay?" she stammered.

"_Alright_," he replied and Kaede hung up. She quickly rushed to the bedroom door, stumbling along the way, her legs giving in and her body becoming unbalanced. Kaede stopped right outside the door, holding herself up by putting one hand on the wall nearest to her and leaning against it.

"Kaede? Kaede, what's wrong?" Henri asked worriedly.

"Kaede-chan?" Ichigo demanded.

Kaede's ears were deaf to their voices, her eyes staring down at her hands which were shaking uncontrollably. Soon, even her vision was blurred by the tears welling up in her eyes.

"No… I have to be strong… I have to be strong… Kyo…" she sobbed.

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><p><strong>Please review! ^0^<strong>


	9. Chapter 9: False Alarm

"You've got to be kidding me…." Kaede growled. Hanabusa flinched, his face slowly becoming pale as he backed away from her as smoothly as possible. Henri and Ichigo stood to the side, their smiles frozen on their faces. Kaede grabbed Hanabusa's collar and pulled him to her, her eyes dark with a fierce glare.

"You….! He's alive! How is he **dying**? He only fainted because you took him outside and the cold air was too sudden for him! Baka! It's winter, you know!" she yelled.

"Sorry, sorry! I actually thought he was dying!" Hanabusa apologized. Glâce and Café circled around them, Kaede's sweets spirit was giggling while Hanabusa's sweets spirit looked extremely worried.

"And… you… I actually believed you! What were you doing here anyway? You even brought a sick patient outside when it's freezing! You even interrupted me and my boyfriend! What the hell?" A menacing aura grew thicker and spread out quickly around Kaede, making the whole room suffocating and dark.

"Stop it, Kaede! I'm the one who begged him to let me go outside! Don't fight!" Kyo begged. They were in Kyo's room at the hospital, and they had just brought Kyo back from outside, where he fainted.

Kaede let go of Hanabusa and turned to her brother, "You… are you stupid? Do you want to die early? Do you know… how… worried…. Do you know how worried I was?"

"But I wanted some fresh air, too! It sucks staying in this hospital the whole time! Can't you even think of how I feel?" Kyo argued.

The twins glared at each other for a long while, and then finally, Hanabusa broke the silence, "Kaede, you have a boyfriend?"

"Yeah," she sighed, turning away from her twin.

"Who?" Satsuki asked.

"Me," Henri smiled.

Hanabusa and Café stared at the two of them and exclaimed, "What?"

"It's the same reaction every time…" Kaede grumbled.

"Well, anyone would be surprised that someone would date you," a voice sneered from the doorway. Kaede and the others looked over to the door to see a girl with dark hair and bright green eyes.

"Aiko. What are you doing here?" Kaede asked, rubbed her forehead.

"I can't even visit my cousin who's frail and weak enough not to become the heir to the Takeda Corporation?" Aiko smirked.

Something inside Kaede snapped, but she ignored it, pretending not to see Aiko. Henri and Ichigo looked over at the two of them, "Cousin?"

"Kaede and Kyo are my cousins. If they weren't born, I would be the heiress of the Takeda Corporation, but…. Obviously, I can't since they're in my way. I can't believe grandfather chose you, though. There's nothing special about you. Even when I took Dai-kun away from you, you didn't even care, and you're a delinquent. I mean all you did was model like a slut and beat up the guys you hate. If you were smart enough, you would have gotten proper education and-" Aiko continued, but was interrupted by Kaede's fierce glare which was now pointed at her. The aura around the red haired delinquent was dark and dangerous, ready to attack and kill at any moment.

Suddenly, Kaede smiled, "And you talk too much. Can you leave if you're done already? My ears are becoming sore and numb just by listening to your useless speaking."

"Why, you…!" Aiko growled, and suddenly rushed towards her cousin, grabbing her by the hair, "Don't underestimate me! You don't even have parents! As I said, you're an idiot, and you're useless! Just like your brother! He can't even move out of his sickbed!"

Henri stepped forward to stop Aiko, but Hanabusa got there first, grabbing Aiko's wrist. He grinned, "Can you please let go, now? I really hate to see pretty girls get into fights."

Aiko huffed and let go of Kaede's hair after giving it a fierce tug, ripping some strands off her scalp. She briskly walked out the door, "I will be the heiress of Takeda! Just you wait!" and she left with that.

"Kaede-nee…" Kyo called out softly to his twin.

"Kaede-chan, are you okay?" Hanabusa smiled down at her, but she had collapsed onto the floor, her cheeks blushed a bright pink and sweat rolling down her forehead.

"Kaede-chan!" Ichigo cried out, rushing over to them.

"She's burning up!" Hanabusa exclaimed, feeling Kaede's forehead. He turned over to Henri who stayed still the whole time, "Hey, aren't you her boyfriend? Go call a nurse or a doctor!"

Henri left the room, obeying quietly, thinking, _Why am I following his orders anyway? I'm six years older than him… Why do I feel so jealous?_

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><p><strong>Sorry it's a short chapter... TT^TT<strong>

**I haven't been getting lots of great ideas lately... so that's why I haven't updated for a while for his story..**

**Please review! **


	10. Chapter 10: Salvia Blue and Red Camelia

Kaede blinked her eyes open to see Hanabusa and Ichigo's face looming over hers. A sharp pain stabbed her heart, incredibly disappointed that Henri wasn't there.

"Kaede! Are you okay?" Ichigo asked.

"Uh… yeah… I guess…" Kaede muttered, pushing herself up. She looked around herself to see that she was in Ichigo's room, on her bed. Realizing that she was being rude by taking up someone else's sleeping place, she tried to climb out of the bed but ended up on the floor, her face flat on the wood, "Ow…"

"You should rest… you've been delirious for three days," Hanabusa smiled, helping her up.

Kaede stumbled for a bit and then sat herself on the edge of Ichigo's bed and whispered, "Sorry… I keep making you fuss over me…" Small drops of tears welled up around the edges of her eyes, her pink cheeks and apologetic expression making one of the cutest faces Kaede ever made in her life.

Ichigo and Hanabusa blushed, both of them thinking she was awfully cute and said, "It's fine! It's fine!"

"Really?" Kaede sniffed. Now she was overwhelmingly cute. Sadly, she was making these cute expressions unconsciously, without meaning to.

"Yup!" Ichigo smiled.

Hanabusa cringed to himself, thinking, _Henri-sensei is so lucky…_

"Uh… where's… where's Henri?" Kaede asked softly.

"He… had to go…" Ichigo answered, a bit reluctant to lower her friend's spirits.

"Oh…" Kaede muttered, and then crept back into Ichigo's bed, pulling the covers over her head, "I'm going to sleep some more…"

"Ah.. okay then," Ichigo said.

Kaede glanced over at Ichigo and smiled, "You actually want to go on a date with Kashino, right? Today… is… the 23rd of December, right? The day before Christmas Eve? You two should go make some happy memories."

Ichigo blushed, "Really? Is that okay with you? I mean…"

"It's fine. Just because I'm in a tight spot doesn't mean I have to drag everyone else down. Thanks for taking care of me," Kaede muttered, then turned her back to them, snuggling under the covers.

Ichigo nodded, then left the room along with Hanabusa, shutting the doors and lights behind them. As soon as they were out of earshot, Kaede let the tears flow, cursing herself.

"Dammit… dammit… dammit! And I got sick at the wrong time… I have to stay strong… stay strong…" she breathed.

* * *

><p>"Kaede! Kaede! Kaede!" A few voices called out to her and Kaede could feel a gentle breeze on her cheeks and hair.<p>

"Oi! Kaede!" A vicious, familiar voice yelled and whacked her on the head with something small and spiky.

"Ow!" Kaede growled and pushed herself up, waking up at the same time. She blinked rapidly at the sweets spirits who were circling around her head, "Oh.. it's you, Glâce… Café…"

Glâce huffed and shoved a bouquet of flowers in her partner's face, "Here! From Henri! He's still thinking about you, so don't go off flirting with other guys!"

"Flirting…?" Kaede muttered and she took the flowers, her brain still muddled as she breathed in the scent. She blinked rapidly again and focused on the flowers which were red camellias and blue salvia. Kaede smiled, "Blue salvia… meaning you think of me… and red camellia… meaning that you love me…"

"Feeling better, Kaede-chan?" a familiar voice called out.

Kaede froze, startled, then looked over at Hanabusa who sat on the edge of the bed, smiling at her.

"Uh… hi.. and yeah…"

"Good!"

Kaede stared at him for a long moment and then smirked, "Hey, Hanabusa let's go somewhere…"

"Huh?" Hanabusa blinked rapidly, thinking, _Is she asking me out on a date?_

Kaede viciously grabbed Hanabusa's long hair and growled, "And get you a haircut! Your hair is even longer than mine, and I'm a girl!"

"That's because your hair is just too short!" Hanabusa exclaimed, thinking, _Oh… guess not…_

* * *

><p>"Kaede-chan, are you sure you don't want to go back? You're sick and all…" Hanabusa trailed off.<p>

Kaede wrapped her scarf tighter around her neck and lower face, covering her nose then stuck her hands in her pockets, "Yeah, I'm sure. I feel much better now, anyways, and I want some fresh air. I hate staying inside all the time. Besides, your hair was bothering me in so many ways."

The red haired female delinquent stared down at her boots as she walked wishing that there was some snow for her to step in. Suddenly, a loud voice called out to them.

"Hey! You! The couple over there! Want to take a special Lovey Dovey picture for Christmas? It's really cheap!" A man yelled at them, waving signs with hearts all over and bubbly words.

Kaede glared at the man with her fierce eyes while Hanabusa was silently happy, thinking, _They think we're dating!_

Kaede burst his happiness bubble by creating a dark, gloomy atmosphere around her just with her feelings and yelled back, "We're not dating!" and stomped off.

Satsuki trailed after her and the two of them continued walking in silence, using the park nearby as a shortcut. The aura around Kaede didn't cease until ten minutes later and she sighed, stopping in her tracks. She stared up at the sky full of white, fluffy clouds, then turned around, "I want to go back now."

"Don't just decide everything yourself!" Hanabusa exclaimed, but with one glare, he obediently followed like a puppy.

They continued to walk in silence, Hanabusa trailing behind the red haired girl. Suddenly, he exclaimed, "Look, Kaede-chan! It's snowing!"

Kaede looked up at his words and her whole face brightened as she saw the small, fluffy snowflakes drifting down from the skies. She opened her mouth, letting one of the snowflakes land on her tongue, then melt. She grinned, "It's so pretty…"

Hanabusa looked over at Kaede and smiled, starting to feel a strong attachment to the short tempered girl. As the two of them were gazing at the snow with awe, a boy around Hanabusa's age, but taller walked past them, his shoulder only centimeters away from Kaede's, nearly grazing past it. As the boy passed by them, Kaede's smile disappeared along with her bright, cheerful eyes, sucking away all the happiness that was left in the aura surrounding her.

Suddenly, Kaede spun around quickly and flung a punch at the boy's head, her eyes dark and full of anger. Surprisingly, without looking, the boy dodged the blow, ducking his head before the girl's fist could smash into it. The boy turned around to face her as he jumped back, staying one meter away from Kaede.

"Kaede…" he greeted, his voice sad and full of regret.

"Eh? Kaede-chan, who is he? How does he know you…?" Hanabusa asked, confused.

"His name is Dai. He's my ex-boyfriend and a traitor," Kaede growled.

* * *

><p><strong>Please review! :D<strong>


	11. Chapter 11: Cutting Hair

"Kaede, what do you want to be when you grow up?" Mrs. Takeda smiled at her daughter who was sitting in the back seat of the car with her brother. Her husband was driving them to the site where Kaede was going to model for a magazine.

The fourteen year old Kaede Takeda huffed, crossing her arms, "Mom, you asked me that since I was little! It's always going to be the same answer! I'm going to become a model!" at that time, she had long, waist-length red hair that was loosely curled.

"You already are one, dear," Mr. Takeda chuckled at his daughter's response.

"Yeah! You're happy, aren't you? You're already living your dream!" Kyo Takeda, Kaede's twin, scoffed, sticking his tongue out at her.

Kaede glared at her brother, "Well, I'm going to be known world-wide soon. I'm not that famous yet, but soon, everyone will acknowledge how girly and pretty I am!"

Kyo made a disgusted noise, as if he was going to puke, and Kaede lightly slapped him on the arm. Their mother now turned to her son and asked, "Well, then Kyo, what do you want to be?"

"I'm going to be a patissier! I'll make sure to bake lots of sweets for you!" Kyo promised, holding a pamphlet of an academy tightly. On the cover were the words "St. Marie Academy". He had always wanted to go to that school, and finally, his parents had decided to enroll him in the school in the following year.

Mr. Takeda looked through the rear-view mirror at his children and said, "You two have such great dreams! And so young too… I wish I was still your age…"

Kaede looked over her father's shoulder and her eyes widened at what she saw in front of them, "Dad! A deer!"

"Huh? What-" her father's eyes turned back to what was in front of the car, and in panic, he sharply turned the wheel to the right, making the car swerve wildly. They were right about to crash into a couple of trees when Mr. Takeda turned the wheel once more, trying to save the deer as well as his family. Kaede screamed loudly as the car spun wildly, and she could hear her brother's breath starting to shorten as fright started to take over him. During the chaos, Kaede hit her head hard on the window glass, and soon, everything turned black.

* * *

><p>"Mom? D-Dad? Kyo? Is everything alright?" Kaede lifted herself from the seat of the car, her head still throbbing from smashing it on the glass. She looked around herself, her vision incredibly blurred as she felt around the car, her hands searching for something… something alive… A sharp pain stabbed her finger when a broken piece of glass cut it. The pain allowed her to concentrate her eyes and make her visual clearer. Kaede turned around towards the door nearest to her and felt for the handle. After finding it, she forcefully pulled the handle, then stumbled out of the car.<p>

_First, I need to get out… I need to see everything… I need to see what happened…_ Kaede thought through her jumbled mind. On her hands and knees, she pushed herself up from the asphalt, steadying herself by spreading her arms. She blinked rapidly at what was going on in front of her.

The whole car was a disaster. It had crashed into a large tree that had a diameter of around two meters. The front of the car was completely smashed, making it look like some type of bandoneon. All of the windows, except for the one on Kaede's side, were either extremely cracked, or broken from the impact. Steam drifted through the air from the front of the car.

_Alright, now… the car is smashed, so now I have to call the ambulance… there could be people hurt… wait, people hurt? _Kaede rummaged through her pockets for her cell phone, then suddenly froze in place once her mind finally cleared. She stared at the car, thinking, _People… people… hurt…. MOM! DAD! KYO!_

"Mom! Dad! Kyo! Are you there? Are you….? Speak to me! Please!" Kaede screamed, running towards the car then shoving herself inside. She looked around desperately for her family, "Kyo? Mom? Dad?"

"Uh….Mmmh…. Nee….san…" a voice mumbled near Kaede.

The girl approached the sound until she found her brother, and she smiled happily, "Kyo! You're here! You're…" she touched Kyo's arm, trying to make him get up, but his skin was dreadfully cold. Kaede placed her hand on his neck, face, and ears, trying to find warmth, but his body slowly grew even colder.

"W-Wait… just wait… I'll call… the ambulance… they need… to… to come!" Kaede stammered, pulling out her cell phone and quickly dialing the number. She placed the device next to her ear, biting her lip as the buzzing sound started. The sound was almost immediately cut off when someone from the other end answered it.

"E-Excuse me! It's my family! W-we got into this car accident, and…. And the whole car is smashed, like ruined! We nearly ran into this deer, and my dad was trying to save it… Please you have to hurry! Come! Please! My brother is growing cold and I don't know what happened to my parents! Please!" Kaede begged as soon as she heard the click of someone picking up the phone.

"Alright, dear. I'll get the ambulance truck to go there right away. Please, calm down. What is your name and what are your whereabouts?" the voice asked with a smooth voice.

Kaede took in a deep breath, then exhaled, then told that person what her name was, and where she thought they were. After she hung up, Kaede collapsed onto her knees on the asphalt, holding her phone tightly to her chest. She started to rock back and forth, back and forth, trying to calm herself down. A small drop of blood trickled down her forehead and stained the expensive, cute skirt she was wearing, but the girl paid no mind to it, only rocking back and forth, back and forth, trying to wait as patiently as she could.

Soon, the ambulance did come, along with a fire truck, and the assistants helped pry Kaede's parents out of the car, along with her brother, and send them to the hospital. One of the nurses, who had also arrived at the scene, approached Kaede, who was still rocking back and forth on the asphalt, her eyes wide with shock.

"Are you Takeda-san?" the nurse asked the girl with long, red hair.

Kaede lifted her head and stared up at the nurse with black eyes, "Y-Yes… I'm Kaede… Takeda…"

The nurse smiled and she helped the girl up, then brushed the dirt off of her outfit, "Come. We will take the ambulance truck to the hospital, and there, we'll see if your family is alright."

Kaede nodded slowly, and the nurse led her into the ambulance, and the vehicle sped off as soon as soon as the doors closed them inside, along with the assistants and the patients.

* * *

><p>"How… How are they? Are they okay? Are they? Doctor!" Kaede questioned the doctor as soon as he came out of the room where her parents and twin were.<p>

The doctor shook his head and softly said, "I'm sorry, Takeda-san… your parents… are already gone…"

His words fell on Kaede's heart like a heavy weight falling onto the floor. She could even feel herself beginning to be ripped apart inside. She stared at the doctor with wide eyes, tears slowly brimming the edges, then trickling down her cheeks. Kaede's hand slowly rose to her head, where a bandage was wrapped tightly. She let the words echo in her brain, letting her analyze word for word, and she blinked rapidly, then said, "Wait, you said… you said… you said my parents! What about Kyo? Is he okay? He's my twin! Is he…?"

"He had a weak body since birth, while his health was moderate. The accident caused tremendous shock, making his heart from weak, and his mind unstable, so he has to be hospitalized from now on," the doctor explained, "It is a miracle, though, that you only have a few cuts and bruises on your head…"

"Let me see him! Let me see Kyo! Please!" Kaede breathed, grabbing onto the doctor's white cloak, "Let me see… my brother…"

The doctor nodded, then opened the door to her brother's room for her. Kaede let go of him, and stumbled inside, running towards the red hair of her brother. She nearly threw herself on top of him, panting heavily as she let the tears flow, "Kyo… Kyo…. You're alive… Kyo… thank goodness…. Kyo…!"

Her twin's eyes fluttered open as he woke up because of his sister's cries. He looked down at Kaede and asked, "Kaede? Wh-What's going on…? Where's… where's Mom? And Dad…? Where…"

Kaede hugged her brother tightly, her tears already soaking the gowns he was wearing, "They.. They're gone…"

Kyo's eyes widened and he stared down at his twin, "Mom… and Dad…?"

When Kaede didn't respond, he gripped onto the white sheets of the bed until his knuckles turned white, and tears flooded out of his eyes. He hugged his sister back tightly, and they both cried for their lost parents until their voices grew hoarse.

* * *

><p>"You <strong>still<strong> don't have perfect marks? How dare you call yourself the heiress to the Takeda name! We give you clothes, shelter, food, education, and money, but you **still** don't have the best marks! How selfish can you get?" Her aunt scolded her.

"I never said… that I wanted to become the heiress for the Takeda family!" Kaede yelled back, losing her temper which had grown extremely short since the accident.

Her aunt struck her across the face, sending the 15 year old girl to the ground, holding her cheek. She huffed and threw Kaede's report cards at her face, treating her as if they were useless, "There will be no dinner for you, including breakfast! Learn to be thankful that we're taking care of you!" she huffed, before walking out of Kaede's room and slamming the door behind her.

It had already been a year since the accident. Kyo's hospital fees, along with Kaede's needs, were provided by the rest of the Takeda family, who they barely had any contact with until their parents died. The twins' grandfather had decided to make Kaede the heiress, and in turn of providing the girl food and shelter, they gave her a much harder life than she had with her parents and brother. Aiko, Kaede's cousin, despised her, along with the rest of the family, who didn't know her well.

Kaede slowly pushed herself off of the floor and gazed at her room which barely had any furniture, except for a small mirror, a bed, a desk with drawers, and a tiny bookshelf. The girl took out a pair of scissors from the drawers and approached the mirror, which was the size of a CD. She glared angrily at the girl who was no longer trying to look pretty, or cute. Kaede stared at the girl with red hair who no longer cared about how she looked or acted. She could see a girl whose eyes were no longer full of happiness, and whose face was no longer glowing.

Kaede took her scissors and cut off her hair up to her ears, her face expressionless as the red locks fell onto the floor. Each one of them symbolized her happiness, her joy, her patient, easy going personality. They were all being separated from her, one by one. Kaede was no longer the angel full of light, but was now the hateful demon.

She smiled, soft, uncomprehendable laughter escaping her lips, "Wow, look at me! I've... changed..."

* * *

><p><strong>This is a chapter on Kaede's past...<strong>


	12. Chapter 12: Dream of Me

**Alright, now back to the story! :)**

* * *

><p>"He's… a traitor? Your ex?" Hanabusa asked, his voice hinting confusion.<p>

"You…" Kaede growled, clenching her fists as she glared at Dai, who just smirked, his fists posed, ready to fight, "You…" she continued, then yelled, "I can't believe it! Right after you switch schools, you suddenly attack us! What the heck!"

"…Huh?" Hanabusa muttered, his lower jaw hanging, confused. He tilted his head, thinking, _Wait… Wait a minute… I thought he was a traitor because he cheated on her or something… just because…. Of a fight between school delinquents? Seriously?  
><em>

"So? It's not my fault that I had to switch schools! And I fight for my own school! I fought against you guys just 'cause the rest of us from our school did! How can you call me a traitor?" Dai snarled back, swinging a punch at the girl.

Kaede dodged the blow and swung a strong kick at Dai's head, "That was definitely betraying us! We lost just because you were on **their**side!"

"Uh… Kaede, we should go home…" Hanabusa said. Café nodded next to him, agreeing completely, while Glâce was cheering them on.

Dai blocked the kick with his hand and Kaede looked over at Satsuki at an odd angle, one of her legs raised high in the air, her upper body tilted downwards for balance. "Oh… okay… see ya, Dai!" she exclaimed, jumping away from him. She grabbed Hanabusa's arm and dragged him away.

"Oi! Kaede!" he called out.

"Yeah?" She asked, stopping to look over at him. Hanabusa was still trying to catch his breath from the sudden burst of speed.

"Tell Aiko I said hi, okay?"

Kaede blinked rapidly, then nodded, smiling as she raised a thumbs up, "Okay! If I can!" Then, she ran off with Hanabusa.

Dai huffed, stuffing his hands in his pockets, "'If I can'… she says… what the hell does that mean?

* * *

><p>"Oh yeah…" Kaede muttered after a while. They were back at Ichigo's house, where they left just one hour ago, "Why did we come out here anyways?" she asked, giving Hanabusa, whom she dragged along, a puzzled look.<p>

"To… get… me.. a… haircut…." Hanabusa huffed, his long green hair growing wild in the wind.

"Oh… right…" the red haired girl trailed off, staring up at the sky full of clouds, as if in thought. She looked back down again and opened the door to the house with the spare keys she got from the Amano family. There was currently no one inside. Kaede opened the door halfway when she suddenly had an amazing idea. She started to chuckle softly, emitting a dark, mischievous aura around her.

"What is it, Kaede? Something… uh… wrong?" Hanabusa asked, a bit worried for himself.

"What about… I give you a haircut myself? No charge… it's for free… but… I don't really handle scissors very well, you know? Good at dealing with knives though… want to try?" Kaede laughed softly, turning her head to gaze at Satsuki with excited dark eyes.

Hanabusa chuckled weakly, thinking, _I seriously can't keep up with her… at all…_

* * *

><p>"You're… actually pretty good at this," Hanabusa commented as he stared at himself in the mirror. A small towel was draped around his shoulders and he was sitting on a stool in front of Kaede who was busily snipping away at her hair.<p>

"Ha! Did you really believe me when I said I can't handle scissors well? Hey, look!" Kaede laughed, leaning over near Hanabusa so that he could see her in the mirror. She raised a few strands of her hair with her fingers, "I cut my own hair all the time! Perfect and layered!"

She went back out of the view of the mirror, and continued to snip away at Hanabusa's green hair when she slowed to a stop.

"Are you done? I think there are a few places left…" Satsuki trailed off, turning his head a bit to look at the angles of his new hairstyle.

"Yeah… perfect… just perfect… my life is **perfect**…" Kaede sighed. Then, she forcibly turned Hanabusa's head back to before and continued to cut. A heavy silence fell between them, alone in the room. Only the sounds of hair being cut were heard. "All right, I'm done!" The red haired girl suddenly exclaimed, breaking the silence.

"My… image before… is gone…" Hanabusa muttered, staring at the hairstyle that was similar to the one he had a few years ago.

"You don't like it? Personally, I think it's way better than before. You look less like a cross dresser. Now you're ready to get a girlfriend."

Satsuki blushed at little at her comment, and he blinked rapidly, noticing something, "Hey… I've noticed… You're… nicer than before… not like it's a bad thing…"

"Oh… really? I don't know… I feel… empty," Kaede answered, putting away the scissors and collecting the hair on the floor then throwing it away, "Hey… do you think it's normal to feel… trapped… when you're with the person you love?" she continued.

"Well, then… that wouldn't be love, right?"Hanabusa replied, turning to face her. They stared at each other for a long moment, and then a sad smile crept onto Kaede's face.

"Oh… yeah… you're right…" She breathed, thinking, _Then… I never loved anyone… Henri… I didn't love him for the past few weeks…then… those warm feelings I used to have… they disappeared…. No wonder why I feel so empty…_

"Something wrong? You seem… off…" Hanabusa commented.

Kaede shook her head and said, "Actually, I think I need some sleep… I'll shut the door behind you after you leave."

The boy tilted his head, then nodded, "Okay, then. See you tomorrow."

"Yeah.. tomorrow…" the red haired girl muttered, not having a great feeling about the following day.

* * *

><p>"<em>It hurts… something…. Something is stabbing me… it hurts… it hurts… what is happening? Is this a dream?" Kaede breathed.<em>

_"Henri? Is that you? Wait! I'm right here! Where are you going! I have to say something! Wait!" she called out. Henri was walking away from her, looking around as if he was searching for something… or someone._

_"Henri! Henri!" Kaede yelled, then glanced over to the side, where something moved. It was Hanabusa, this time, "Oi, Hanabusa! Where are you going? Oi!"_

_He also moved away from her, almost copying Henri's actions. Soon, everyone Kaede knew… everyone she knew who was alive appeared, and they all made the same actions. They all moved away from her, looking around as if they were searching for something… something important.. or someone._

_Kaede followed them, trailing behind only by a few meters as she kept calling out to them. Her voice fell on deaf ears. Finally, they stopped, and they all gathered around something… something immobile. Kaede slowly approached them, wondering why they had all stopped… wondering why they couldn't hear her. Her eyes widened at what she saw in the middle of the crowd._

_Laughter echoed through her ears as she gazed at the dead body in the center of the mob. The dead body… it was her… and there were more than ten scythes stuck deeply inside of her. Tears stained the cheeks of the dead version of Kaede. The last thing she heard was her own screams drowning out the cruel laughter of the witnesses._

_Right before she blacked out, Kaede felt cold, ghostly arms wrapping around her. They were the arms of her dead parents, hugging her tightly, as if they would never let go._

* * *

><p>Kaede opened her eyes to the dark room in the house of the Amano family, where she was staying. The whole house was quiet, except for Kaede's loud panting. Her clothes were drenched with sweat and shivers traveled up her body as she remembered the sight of her dead body from her dream She sat up, rubbing her forehead from the shock. Kaede's body shuddered with sudden coughs, and she was filled with a dreadful feeling of bad things to come.<p>

"Death does not let his victims escape twice… Death does not let his victims escape twice… Death… does not let his victims escape twice…" she breathed as she picked up her cell phone which was near her. Kaede quickly dialed the number she was so very familiar with. _I have to do this… for his own sake… Death does not let his victims escape twice…_ she thought. She pressed the phone against her ear and waited.

"_Hello_?" A voice buzzed through the device, "_Kaede? What's wrong? It's like… five in the morning._"

Kaede blinked rapidly and checked the clock on her phone to see if it was true. It really was five in the morning… it was the morning of Christmas Eve.

"Henri…" she said, pressing the phone back to her ear, "I… I…." she took in a deep breath, then slowly let it out, "I… let's… let's break up."

* * *

><p><strong>The part with entire Italics was Kaede's dream. Thanks for the favorites! :D<strong>

**I really appreciate them!**

**Please review!**


	13. Chapter 13: Frusteration

"I want to break up," Kaede repeated in a low voice, her ear pressed against her cell phone.

Silence followed, and after a while, her boyfriend's voice sounded again. "_…Why?_"Henri's kind voice was now full of confusion.

"I want to break up… I've had enough… I don't even know what my own feelings are anymore… I don't love you."

Another long pause seemed to make the gap between their hearts much larger. "_I… don't understand._"

"Of course you don't understand… that _love_ that was between us never was meant to happen anyways."

When there was no reply, Kaede continued, "I have actually been thinking about it for a while… breaking up with you… but being a selfish bitch, I kept holding back and didn't do the right thing. My brother… Kyo… he's the one whose dream was to become a patissier, not mine."

Kaede's voice started to shake, but she pinched herself to hold the tears back, "I never wanted to become a patissier… not once. I used you, Henri. I used you so that I can become closer to you and fulfill Kyo's dreams for him… by being taught by the patissier he admires so much. I hated it… I was an absolute beginner at it… I never actually put my whole heart in it and made sweets without much feeling. Even though I never wanted to become a patissier, Glâce still wanted me to be her partner…"

From the side, Glâce was still sleeping soundly in a miniature bed on the table next to Kaede. The girl paused for a moment and said, "I become your girlfriend because I thought that it would be easier for me to learn your secrets… to learn how you make sweets… and connect your world with mine, then with Kyo's… The whole time, I was only thinking of Kyo, not you. But then… I lost control of myself… and accidentally fell in love with you and ruined the goal I had in the first place. I hated myself since that time.. that single moment that I let myself fall for you… I knew that I was being selfish and cruel for playing around with feelings."

"_Kaede…_" Henri trailed off, but Kaede interrupted him.

"I was selfish and cruel.. and I still am! Now, because I played around with feelings so much… my heart is now drained of emotions… I feel empty… but I deserve it. I deserve it, feeling so hollow and numb… hating myself the whole time… but you don't. You don't… no, you won't feel the same as I do. I won't let you. I don't want to hurt you or make you feel any type of pain. I'm the one who dragged you into this mess in the first place… So that's why…" Tears welled up in the red haired girl's eyes as she stammered, "That's why… I need you to break up with me… for your own sake… please… distance yourself from this wretched, selfish girl. Break up with me…"

Another long silence followed Kaede's words, making the whole room seem dark and the air stifling. Finally, Henri's voice buzzed, "_Kaede… do you really think I will break up with you that easily? Do you really think that my feelings for you will just disappear in a wink? I knew… I knew the whole time… that you were using me… but I didn't care._"

More tears streamed out of Kaede's eyes, the drops falling on her shaking hands.

"_Only thinking about others…using the wild, dark, and cruel side of you as a wall to ward off others… I'm not fooled by it… and I never was. I love you, Kaede, just the way you are. I don't care what your true motives are, I just…_"

"I knew it…" Kaede whispered softly, "I knew you wouldn't listen to me… I knew that you wouldn't understand… how I feel… don't say that you love me… don't you **dare** say it… Don't drown me more in guilt than you already have. It's over between us now, Henri. Don't ever see me again… please. It's for your own good. I won't be looking for you either. I don't want to hurt you… Goodbye."

* * *

><p>A loud click was heard from Henri's end as Kaede hung up. His hand was gripping the phone tightly, as if he was about to crush it. Henri threw the phone across the room of the hotel he was staying at and covered his face with his hands.<p>

"Kaede…!" he breathed, his heart twisting and turning in pain of the emotions that rushed at him.

* * *

><p>"Is his heart the main problem?"<p>

"Yes… it is really his whole body that is weak, but his heart is the one with the most trouble. If only we had an available heart donor for transplant… What are you thinking of, Kaede? You look as if you're planning something."

Kaede stared at the doctor with blank eyes, her fists rolled up tightly on her lap, "It's nothing."

The doctor sighed and said, "By the way, are you sure you don't want a test? You hit your head pretty hard and we want to make sure that you're okay… anything can happen when you bump your head pretty roughly... it could lead to brain death, paralysis…"

"I'm fine. I told you before; You are free to do any test on me **after** my brother is well enough to get out of the hospital and live normally," Kaede replied, glancing over at the rack of forms on the doctor's desk. She continued, "About brain death… I have been researching on it a bit out of curiosity… is it true that organs can be removed from a brain dead patient to use for transplant?"

The doctor gazed at the girl with serious eyes and asked, "Why do you want to know that? Don't do anything foolish, Kaede. Don't tell me that the reason why you didn't take any tests was because… Kaede, it's Christmas today… don't do anything rash."

It was only hours ago that Kaede had broken up with Henri… and now, it was finally Christmas.

"I'm not planning to… it's not like I can decide when I'm going to die…" the girl said, then picked up a form from the rack, "Can I take this?"

"That's a permission form for donors."

"I know… I'm taking it… just in case."

* * *

><p>"Merry Christmas, Kyo!" Kaede exclaimed as she entered the hospital room he was in.<p>

"Kaede-nee!" Kyo cried out joyfully and the twins hugged each other, "Merry Christmas to you, too!"

"Hey, Kaede-nee…" he said after letting his twin sister go, "Can we go out….side…?"

The girl's dark glare immediately made Kyo lose all hopes of going outside in the snow.

"Anyways…" she huffed, "What do you want to play? I brought Wii, Gameboy, GameCube, DS…" Kaede trailed off, dumping the entire contents of the bag she was carrying onto a nearby table.

"Eh? Aren't you going anywhere with your friends?"

Kaede ruffled her brother's hair and smiled, "Hey, it's Christmas! You have to enjoy it too!"

Kyo blinked rapidly, feeling slightly guilty, and he grinned, "Thanks, sis."

* * *

><p>The following morning, on Boxing Day, Kyo was sleeping soundly in his bed while Kaede's head was rested next to him, on the mattress. The two of them had fallen asleep after almost an entire day of games and laughter. Kyo blinked open his eyes to the bright sunlight that shone through the blinds of the windows. He squinted, lifting his hands up to shield his eyes from the glare. The boy turned to his sister and shook her gently by the shoulders.<p>

"Wake up, sis… Wake up… it's morning… You were here all night."

There was no response. Kyo frowned, having a bad feeling about how Kaede didn't wake up and shook her harder.

"Kaede! Kaede! KAEDE! WAKE UP! WAKE UP! PLEASE!"

It was useless. Kaede Takeda would never wake up to see her brother's face again.

* * *

><p><strong>Sry if it's too obvious of what the ending is going to be... .<strong>

**Henri, you spaz... XD... jk**


	14. Chapter 14: End

"Hanabusa-kun!" Ichigo Amano called out as she rushed into the hospital and went down the hallway towards the south. He was sitting alone in one of the chairs lined up against the wall opposite from the door to one of the hospital rooms. The brunette ran over to him and panted, "What's going on? Why did you call me all of the sudden, Hanabusa-kun? Also, have you seen Kaede-chan? She didn't come back last night…"

Satsuki Hanabusa didn't answer, not even looking up at his friend. His gaze was directed towards the floor, his dark expression unable to be seen. Ichigo blinked rapidly, confused, then lightly patted the boy's shoulder, "Hanabusa-kun? What happened?"

"Kaede…" he muttered.

"Kaede?" she asked, tilting her head.

"Kaede… is dead… she's gone."

Ichigo froze in place, her eyes widening in shock. She took a step back, not believing her ears, "E-eh?"

* * *

><p>Henri gazed out of the window of the taxi that was heading for the closest airport. He was going to take the plane back to Paris.<p>

Henri Lucas sighed, tightening his white woolen scarf around his neck. He rubbed his nose against it, remembering the time when Kaede had given it to him as a present. "I wonder what she is doing right now…" he wondered.

Suddenly, his phone started to ring, and he retrieved it, then pressed it to his ear, "Hello?"

"_Henri…Henri-sensei_!" Ichigo's high pitched voice cried out.

"Ichigo? What's wrong?"

"_It's Kaede!_"

Henri froze at the sound of his ex-girlfriend's name, unable to speak, for a moment, and he stammered, "K-Kaede?"

"_Henri-sensei! You have to come to the hospital! Kaede-chan… Kaede-chan has passed away!_"

The patissier's phone dropped to the floor of the taxi with a soft thump, while its owner made no effort to pick it up. Henri clenched his fists, not believing his ears, "Kaede… Kaede… is dead? How…?"

He looked up at the taxi driver and exclaimed, "Please! Turn the car around! I have to go to the hospital!"

* * *

><p>Ichigo and Hanabusa walked into the hospital room Kaede was in, watching the shaking figure of her twin brother, Kyo, who was sitting next to the bed. Many tubes were stuck in the red haired girl's body, but her face didn't seem like she was a patient who needed care. Kaede's face was peaceful and without worry, as if she was having a happy dream in her sleep. Hanabusa and Ichigo stood off to the side, not knowing what to say to cheer the boy up. They didn't even know how to properly react to this kind of situation. Tears started to fall down Ichigo's cheeks, but she hurriedly wiped them away, trying to hold them back, but they would not stop. She looked over at Hanabusa, whose facial expression was still frozen and blank.<p>

Suddenly, the door opened and Aiko Takeda, accompanied by an older woman, stepped in. Kyo Takeda turned his crying face to them, and said, "Aunt Mina… Aiko…"

Aunt Mina, took one look at Kaede's dead face and her lips drew back in disgust. She remembered all those years she spent beating Kaede's studies and knowledge into that girl and she still despised her. Aunt Mina muttered, "Another heir gone… I knew she wouldn't have been able to live long with that stupidity."

Aiko walked over to Kyo and asked, "Is she really gone? Is she really dead?"

Kyo didn't answer and turned back to his sister again, resting his head on the bed, "Go away… what are you doing here?"

"Answer my question! Is she really dead? Did she really leave me behind, just like that?" Aiko yelled.

"Go away…" Kyo growled, his eyes growing cold and dark, "Go away… I hate you."

"How dare she! Does she think this is all a joke? Being trained for more than two years, raising our hopes, making me try so hard to become heiress, and she just LEFT?"

Kyo glared at his cousin and yelled back, "Is that seriously all you have to say? Treating her badly all this time, and you are still power hungry? What is wrong with you?"

"Why, you-"

"Shut up," a soft voice cut them off, and the two of them looked over at Hanabusa, who had just spoken.

"H-Hanabusa-kun…" Ichigo stuttered, suddenly becoming afraid of him. His face expressed irritation, sorrow, anger, and frustration. He didn't even try to hold back his feelings.

Just then, a doctor entered the room, clearing the tense atmosphere. He looked over at Aunt Mina and asked, "Excuse me, are you the guardian taking care of this child?"

"No… I'm just her aunt. I couldn't bear even a second treating her as one of my own," she replied in a cold voice, "How did she die?"

The doctor blinked rapidly in surprise at the older woman's reaction, then cleared his throat, "Well… she is brain dead. We figure that it was caused by the accident a few years ago. The wound had damaged the blood vessels inside the brain and it was slowly bleeding from inside. This led to brain death, which took approximately two years to develop. I'm sorry… she refused to take any tests before her brother became healthy, so we didn't know until now about what had happened to her…. There is no cure for brain death… I'm very sorry…"

"I know.. what brain death is," Aunt Mina said, her eyes and face showing no emotion, "Organ transplants are able to take place, am I correct?"

"Well, uh.. yes…"

"Then transplant that girl's heart into Kyo Takeda's body…. As soon as possible."

Ichigo, Hanabusa, Aiko, and Kyo froze in shock as they gazed at the crazy old woman.

"Ah, yes… we are able to start on it soon because Kyo is the only patient in the hospitals around here that desperately needs a heart transplant… but…" the doctor trailed off.

"I give permission, as the supposed guardian of that girl. I can't have another member of the Takeda family dying," Aunt Mina ordered.

"Yes… but first, you will need to fill out a form… this way, please," the doctor stammered as he walked out of the room. The old woman started to follow when Kyo spoke up.

"I don't want to…"

"What?" Aunt Mina snapped, turning around to glare at the boy.

"I don't want to! I don't want Kaede-nee's heart! That would mean that I accepted her death! I don't want to do that!" Kyo screamed at the top of his lungs, throwing his arms around his motionless twin sister, "I DON'T WANT TO! LEAVE HER ALONE! Haven't you done enough, making her life miserable after our parents died! You have no right to do that! I don't care if you are my aunt or not! I don't care if you are part of my family! The only family I ever had after that accident a few years ago was Kaede-nee! If I take her heart… If I take her heart, she really will be dead!"

"Kyo-kun, please calm down…" Ichigo pleaded, stepping towards him.

Aunt Mina clenched her fists, her eyes bulging with rage. She turned to Hanabusa and Ichigo, "What are you two still doing here? Get out! This is no place for you, outsiders! Get out!"

During the chaos, while Kyo was hugging Kaede, the shifting of the bed sheets allowed a crumpled piece of paper to fall out of the brain dead patient's pocket. It dropped to the floor and lied there for only a few seconds before Kyo picked it up. He slowly flattened the piece of paper, reading what it said, and his eyes widened with shock, then relaxed as he turned to the others. Kyo walked over to the doctor and handed him the form, his eyes directed towards the floor the whole time. The doctor took the paper from the boy and went through it quickly, his face turning grim.

"Um…" the doctor started to speak.

"Yes..!" Aunt Mina replied sharply.

The doctor gave her a weird look before answering, "Actually, we already have the brain dead patient's permission to do a heart transplant…. She wrote in this form that when she dies, she wishes to be an organ donor for her twin brother, Kyo."

"Well, then," he continued when there was no response, "If I could speak with you, Ma'am…" he said to Aunt Mina, and the two of them left the room.

A few minutes later, Aiko also evacuated the room when someone else barged in. It was Henri Lucas.

"Kaede?" he called out, looking around desperately, "Kaede!"

Henri rushed to her side and grabbed the girl's hand tightly, "How… she's not dead! I can still feel her pulse… what's going on? She's alive, right? She'll wake up again, right?"

"She's as good as dead…. Her brain stopped working.. Kaede-nee…" Kyo sniffed and started to cry again, "Kaede-nee will never open her eyes again!"

"No way…" Henri muttered, tears welling up in his eyes, "There's no way… she talked to me only yesterday… how…" he clenched his teeth, pressing Kaede's hand against his cheek, "Wake up… wake up… Kaede…"

Hanabusa, who had been quietly standing only a meter so away from them, turned and headed out of the room, not saying a single word. Ichigo followed him, her own eyes red and filled with tears, "Hanabusa-kun!"

* * *

><p>"Hanabusa-kun! Hanabusa-kun!" Ichigo called out to him as she trailed behind the boy. He stopped just outside the doors of the hospital, and the brunette finally caught up to him.<p>

Tears slowly started to fall from Hanabusa's eyes as he stared out into nothing. His body shook as he let the tears fall rapidly, his heart aching of grief and sorrow. "Kaede…" Hanabusa breathed, whispering the name of the girl that had stolen his heart.

* * *

><p>Two weeks later, a few days after Kyo had his heart transplant, Kaede Takeda's funeral took place. Not many words were exchanged, and shortly after the ceremony ended, Henri took a long walk to St. Marie Academy.<p>

It was raining that day. Rain poured down on Henri Lucas's umbrella, pounding against the thin barrier, as if the skies were weeping because of Kaede's death. He stopped in front of the gates, peering inside as he remembered his ex-girlfriend's face, smile, anger, guilt… everything. He stood there quietly for a few minutes when a soft mew sounded from beside him. Henri looked down to see wide, green eyes staring up at him. They were the eyes of a kitten with bright red fur. The kitten's eyes were slightly slanted, as if they were glaring up at the human, and its hackles rose up in alarm when Henri bent down towards it.

Henri smiled, slowly reaching his hand out to the kitten, and muttered, "That flame-like color… it's just like Kaede's hair…"

The kitten swiped its paw at the man's hand, scratching it, and retreated backwards, glaring at Henri with wary eyes.

He chuckled, "And your reactions are just like hers too…" Henri sighed, pulling his hand away from the kitten as he continued to smile, "I'm an in idiot, aren't I, talking to some cat I think looks like a dead person…"

The kitten mewed, as if to agree with him.

"Haha… but she's gone now… she's gone…." He said, his face falling as he said those words. Suddenly, he jumped up to his feet, "No! I won't let Kaede worry! I will continue on with my life!"

The small animal tilted its head and mewed once more, as if to say, _Really?_

"Really…." Henri smiled again, "I'll be fine… don't worry…" his face fell again and he groaned, covering his eyes, "I'm talking to a cat again, thinking that it's Kaede…" Henri looked up to face the kitten, but it was gone. He looked around to see where it had run off to, but he had no luck. Henri sighed and walked away, "I'd better go home…"

From afar, the same red kitten watched the man as he left, and it turned and left, disappearing into the spirit world.

_Goodbye, Henri… _Kaede's voice whispered in the wind.

* * *

><p><strong><span>60 years later...<span>**

"Wow, Henri-kun is so amazing!"

"He's like the resurrection of the late Henri Lucas!"

"His sweets are amazing!"

A teenaged boy with bright, yellow hair marched out of the cooking class with a smile frozen on his face, careful not to let his ager out on anyone. He sped up until he reached the statue of the Queen of the Sweets Spirits in front of St. Marie Acadamy. He sighed, leaning against the old statue.

"Really, all they talk about is how much I'm like my grandfather who's dead... idiots... I only have the same name as him... Henri Lucas..." the boy muttered, pulling on the collar of his school uniform. _It's so suffocating in there... they all want me to be just like that dead man... Henri this, Henri that... I mean, come on! Their expectations..._

"... Are so abnormal!" A voice finished for him. Henri Lucas the second slowly turned to see a young girl with red hair the colour of flames on the opposite side of the statue. Her back was turned to him.

"I mean, it's Kaede this, Kaede that... why don't they shut up already?" The girl huffed, "I can understand why gramps gave me that name, 'cause she was his twin sister, but, really?" Kaede Takeda the second continued, "I bet the late Kaede Takeda was an egotistical idiot! Henri Lucas the first, too! Egotistical idiots are meant for each other anyways! He's the one who fell in love with-"

Soft giggles sounded from behind her, and she quickly turned around to see the blond boy laughing his head off. Suddenly feeling a twinge of annoyance, Kaede growled, "What... the hell?"

Henri Lucas stopped laughing, and smiled, "Really, elementary kids like you shouldn't speak like that... especially little girls... you'll scare all the boys away," he chuckled as he looked down at Kaede Takeda, who looked around 12 years old.

"Oi... and who are you to talk?" Kaede growled.

"Oh, sorry... I'm Henri Lucas the second... and I bet you're Kaede Takeda... also second... Nice meeting you," Henri greeted, before turning away.

Kaede's face paled as she watched the older boy's departing figure. She broke into a run, chasing after him, "Hey wait! D-Don't tell anyone I said that! It's supposed to be secret!"

"Secret? Hm... maybe..."

"If you do tell anyone, I'll spread word about what you said!"

"You little vixen!"

The two of them laughed as they walked off, and the red string of love that had once been broken mended itself.

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><p><strong>Yeah, this is the end of Delinquent and Rose! :) Sry for the slow update... I had to redo this chapter like five times because I didn't know how to successfully end it... TT^TT I'm not that great with shoujo fanfiction...<strong>

**Anyways, thnx for reading until the end, and I hope to see you soon! :)**


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